Cutting-Edge Accessories

The tools and gadgets that made the cut for our second annual celebration of the best in design and technology.

It looks vintage, but OLYMPUS's E-P1 is anything but a throwback. It's both a 12.3-megapixel DSLR with interchangeable lenses and image stabilization and an HD video camera with live-view autofocus and high-fidelity audio. All of it wrapped in the company's pocket-friendly, sixties-style PEN housing. $800; getolympus.com

Samsung HMX-R10

(Photograph by Shana Novak)

It's not easy to tell when SAMSUNG's HMX-R10 is pointing at you. The Cyclops-like lens is canted at a 25-degree angle, for a more natural wrist position. The sleek, ergo videocam shoots full 1080p hi-def video and nine-megapixel stills, features a 5x zoom and a 2.7-inch touchscreen, and records to SDHC cards. $500; samsung.com

Suunto Elementum Terra Steel

Elementum Terra Steel

SUUNTO's ELEMENTUM TERRA STEEL is a full-on technical watch, with altimeter, barometer, a 3-D compass that works even when it's off-level, and a three-line readout for easy viewing. But the Finnish-made watch's corrosion-resistant case and LCD numerals are as attractive as anything built by those guys in Switzerland, so you can wear it from fourteener to flight lounge. $1,200; suunto.com

Leatherman Damascus Wave

Damascus Wave

LEATHERMAN's limited-edition DAMASCUS WAVE twists the knife on average multi­tools. The two Damascus-steel bladesmade with a hot-forged artisan alloy that forms beautiful wave patterns when it coolshave exceptional edge-keeping ability. The 15 other onboard tools come in handy, too. $550; leatherman.com

Black Diamond Octane

Black Diamond Octane

Pivoting waist and shoulder straps aren't new on packs, but BLACK DIAMOND's OCTANE has the most motion-friendly design we've seen. Unlike typical shoulder straps, which are stitched to the base of the pack, the Octane's pass through the bottom in a continuous loop, so one gets shorter and one longer as the load swings right or left, thus balancing the weight. $140; blackdiamondequipment.com

Pieps Freeride

(Photograph by Shana Novak)

When you're skinning uphill in the backcountry, every ounce counts. Thankfully, PIEPS's new, cell-phone-size FREERIDE avalanche transceiver weighs less than four ounces. Designers shrank it by cutting out beginner-friendly directional antennae, but that's a boon for advanced users, who won't even notice this beacon until they need it. $200; pieps.com

Mogomoto Alpinist Case

Mogomoto Alpinist Case

At just under six ounces, MOGOMOTO PROTOTYPE's aircraft-grade alumi­num ALPINIST CASE is designed to be light and tough, protecting climbers' cameras from untimely smashings. But the case is so sharp-looking that you'll want it for less extreme pursuits, tootraveling, hiking, or just jamming into your carry-on for the weekend. From $56; mproto.net

Sleek Audio CT6 Custom Earphones

(Photograph by Shana Novak)

SLEEK AUDIO's CT6 CUSTOM EARPHONES are not only tailor-made for your ears (so they block ambient noise and stay put); they're also tuned to deliver the ideal sound balance for whatever device you decide to run through themaudio player, laptop, Marshall stack, etc. $350; sleek-audio.com

Cy Fi Wireless Sports Speaker

Wireless Sports Speaker

Cyclists usually have two choices for their in-the-saddle soundtracks: Listen to traffic, or wear earbuds and hope you don't get KO'd. CY FI's new WIRELESS SPORTS SPEAKER lets you rock out without tuning out. It clips to handlebars and plays tracks transmitted from an iPod or a Bluetooth-equipped phoneand works well off the bike, too. From $149; mycyfi.com

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